Why create graphs?

4 Datasets

x1 y1 x2 y2 x3 y3 x4 y4
10 8.04 10 9.14 10 7.46 8 6.58
8 6.95 8 8.14 8 6.77 8 5.76
13 7.58 13 8.74 13 12.74 8 7.71
9 8.81 9 8.77 9 7.11 8 8.84
11 8.33 11 9.26 11 7.81 8 8.47
14 9.96 14 8.10 14 8.84 8 7.04
6 7.24 6 6.13 6 6.08 8 5.25
4 4.26 4 3.10 4 5.39 19 12.50
12 10.84 12 9.13 12 8.15 8 5.56
7 4.82 7 7.26 7 6.42 8 7.91
5 5.68 5 4.74 5 5.73 8 6.89

4 Datasets - Statistics

datasource x-mean y-mean x-variance y-variance correlation-xy
1 9 7.500909 11 4.127269 0.8164205
2 9 7.500909 11 4.127629 0.8162365
3 9 7.500000 11 4.122620 0.8162867
4 9 7.500909 11 4.123249 0.8165214

Anscombe’s Quartet - Graphs

The Datasaurus Dozen: What’s common?

The Datasaurus Dozen - Revelation

Datasaurus

Relationships usually displayed in graphs

  • Time Series: Changes in variable(s) over time (Change, rise, increase, fluctuate, grow, decline, decrease, trend)
  • Ranking (larger/smaller/equal to/greater/lesser)
  • Part-to-whole (rate/percent/share of total/accounts for n percent)
  • Deviation (absolute/percentage/rate of deviations from a reference value,)
  • Distribution (frequency, distribution, range, concentration, normal)
  • Correlation (how variables covary - increases/decreases/changes with, caused by, affected by)
  • Geospatial (spatial, geographical - county/city/region/state/…)

Nominal Comparisons

Ranking

Distributions

Density plot

Part-to-Whole

Shapes with 2-D areas (area-graphs)

Shapes with 2-D or Bars?

Part-to-Whole

Pie-charts, for their disadvantages, are easily recognized. Can use bars close to each other.

Time Series

Deviation Designs

Correlations

Geo-Spatial Designs

Violent Crime Rates Across 5 Decades

Gonzaga MAPS Project

Acknowledgements

  • Most of the content derived from chapter titled “Fundamental Variations of Graphs” in Stephen Few’s book: “Show Me the Numbers”
  • Almost all graphs created using the ggplot2 package in R
  • Code and datasets for this presentation can be found at: https://github.com/patilv/TypesofGraphs
  • The presentation can be found at: http://patilv.com/TypesofGraphs